This application claims the priority of German application 297 12 351.3, filed in Germany on Jul. 12, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a heat exchanger arrangement having two heat exchangers which can be detachably connected with one another on opposite fastening sides by means of a fastening arrangement, the fastening arrangement having a plug-type holding device with hook-type profiles on one fastening side.
Such a heat exchanger arrangement is known from German Patent Document DE 39 22 814 A1. In this case, a first heat exchanger in the form of a condenser is fastened to a second heat exchanger in the form of a cooler. For the fastening of the condenser, two hook-shaped holders are provided on the cooler on one side of the condenser into which a condenser is placed from above. On the opposite side, the condenser is provided with holding devices which are fastened to the cooler by means of screwed connections. The lower holders are therefore used as the plug-type holding device into which condenser is inserted and subsequently is screwed on its upper end area by means of the holding devices to the cooler.
It is an object of the invention to provide a heat exchanger arrangement of the initially mentioned type which ensures a simplified mutual connection of the two heat exchangers.
This object is achieved in that, on the other fastening side, the fastening arrangement has a detent connection which is divided into a detent arrangement constructed as a movable bearing and into a detent arrangement constructed as a fixed bearing. This creates an extremely simple connection between the two heat exchangers which does not require additional fastening elements, such as screwing elements or similar devices. By means of the construction as a fixed bearing and a movable bearing, a statically defined fastening of one heat exchanger on the other is created, in which case manufacturing tolerances can also be compensated.
As a further development of the invention, a force transducing device is assigned to each detent arrangement, which force transducing device has a support body arranged on one heat exchanger as well as at least one support web which is arranged on the other heat exchanger and reaches at least partially around the support body in the mounted condition of the heat exchangers. By means of the force transducing device, an additional form closure is achieved in the area of the detent arrangements which improves the stability of the connection between the two heat exchangers.
As a further development of the invention, each detent arrangement has an elastically resilient pair of detent hooks on one heat exchanger as well as at least one corresponding detent recess on the other-heat exchanger, in which case the detent hooks of each pair of detent hooks reach behind the edges of the at least one detent recess in the mounted condition. As a result, a secure and stable detent connection is created.
As a further development of the invention, at least one center web respectively used as a support is provided between the detent hooks of each pair of detent hooks for limiting the deflecting capacity of the detent hooks. As a result, an overloading of one or the other detent hook of the pair of detent hooks is avoided so that a failure of such a detent hook because of a breaking-off or similar damage can almost not occur.
As a further development of the invention, the plug-type holding devices as well as the detent connection are positioned in the area of opposite collecting tanks of one heat exchanger. This further development is advantageous if the heat exchangers have at least essentially the same widths dimensions or height dimensions.
In a further development of the invention, the collecting tanks are made of plastic and the portions of the plug-type holding arrangement assigned to the collecting tanks of the heat exchanger as well as the detent connection are shaped in one piece to the collecting tank. As the result, the fastening arrangement can be produced in a particularly operationally reliable manner and at reasonable cost.
As a further development of the invention, the detent arrangements and the assigned force transducing devices are positioned adjacent to one another, and, in a supplementary manner, the edges of the detent recesses are constructed as support webs of the force transducing devices. The edges of the detent recesses therefore have a double function because, on the one hand, they are used for fixing the detent hooks and, on the other hand, they are used for the laterally flanking support of the support bodies. This further development permits a particularly compact and space-saving construction of the fastening arrangement.
As a further development of the invention, the support bodies are provided with tapering centering points. This simplifies the mounting of one heat exchanger on the other heat exchanger.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.